ON-CALL CRISIS POOL WORKERS
NEEDED. Part-time positions are available for after hours “on-call”
crisis workers to respond to mental health crisis for Wilson and Karnes Counties. Duties include crisis interventions,
assessments, referrals to stabilization services, and referrals for involuntary
treatment services according to the Texas Mental Health Laws. You must have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in
psychology, sociology, social work, nursing, etc. On-call hours are from 5 p.m.-8 a.m. weekdays, weekends
and holidays vary. If selected, you must
attend required training and must be able to report to designated safe sites
within 1 hour of request for assessment. Compensation
is at a rate of $200 per week plus $100 per completed and submitted crisis assessment,
and mileage. If interested call Camino Real Community
Services, 210-357-0359.

Featured Videos

Letter: Get the facts straight on FEDC

For some time now, attending Floresville City Council meetings has become an ordeal. It is an ordeal for the city administrators trying to conduct business and for those citizens who want to be part of the process in a positive way. It is particularly painful for those of us who volunteer our time without interest in personal gain. Painful because the lack of information or misinformation that is passed off as fact and detrimental to the interests of the city. . . .

The full article is available to Wilson County News subscribers only (if you receive the paper in the mail or if you have purchased an E-subscription). Subscribe today or purchase this issue (October 10, 2012) for $3.00. (If you are already a subscriber, simply sign in using the Login form in the upper right of this page.)

Oyes, primo Kernel, te cortaron la lengua? Fred, how about you? You like to use big words like the mayor. But it is not going to get you anywhere. Like CTD says, the clock is ticking and the truth will come out.

If Fred cannot answer these questions, can the Kernal? Why isn't anyone saying anything? Anybody? Anybody? Hello, you were quick to critize a citizen who was just asking questions and he has replied and you have no answers? Que paso?

No response from the peanut gallery to Jim Lawhon's question, I see. It's easy to write a letter filled with inaccurate information when you have not the fortitude to answer for it. Tipico de la gente "cool flecha," ... More ›

No response from the peanut gallery to Jim Lawhon's question, I see. It's easy to write a letter filled with inaccurate information when you have not the fortitude to answer for it. Tipico de la gente "cool flecha," que no?

Fred – I am the guy who stood up at the City Council meeting on September 29th and asked the questions that you seem to have interpreted as an attack on the FEDC. You must not have heard the beginning of my time at the podium. ... More ›

Fred – I am the guy who stood up at the City Council meeting on September 29th and asked the questions that you seem to have interpreted as an attack on the FEDC. You must not have heard the beginning of my time at the podium. I was not attacking anyone, there has been way too much of that lately. I said that I was referencing financial data from the State Comptrollers site and that I would welcome someone providing me with the correct data if the State Comptroller had incorrect data. As I am sure you know there have been many ugly comments and accusations in our local political arena lately. I was attempting to take the discussion out of that mode and into a fact based discussion. The Mayor did clear up one bit of misinformation regarding the sale of property to pay the funds promised to the school. In your letter to the Wilson County news you confirmed that my information regarding the FEDC Board being charged with a violation of the Texas Open Meeting act was correct and not misinformation. Thank you.
Since you have stepped up and offered to provide factual data to quell the rumors I will present you with the things I have heard so that you can clear them up for all of us. First my financial issue. If you need the comptroller website, I will provide it, but it has been provided in this blog at least once before. The comptroller site has records back to 1997 and that site is the basis for my question. From fiscal year 1997 through fiscal year 2011 the FEDC spent almost 600 thousand dollars more than it received in normal revenue. If it had not obtained the 1.5 million loan in 2008 it would have been out of money in early 2010. As has been pointed out before, for years 2007 through 2011 the FEDC spent more than it received not counting the loan in 2008. That is why I asked the question about the FEDC operating at a deficit for the past 5 years. If the comptroller data is incorrect, would you please make public financial records for the past 5 to 10 years so we can see the correct data and understand the discrepancy?
Looking at the Primary FEDC Objectives listed with each of the financial reports the Sports Complex is in some years and not in others. Infrastructure projects are in some years and not others and the same goes for Tourism. The one thing that is consistent year to year is Job Creation and Retention. I personally believe that is the one Primary purpose of the FEDC. It is also the FEDC Mission listed on the FEDC website. With regard to issues like this, I have a personal bias. In my job I am regularly asked to justify my projects in terms of how the financial commitment serves the organization. With these things in mind here are some other rumors you can clear up if you will.
1. FEDC obtained a 1.5 million loan for the Rancho Grande Industrial park. I have heard that the money was spent for other projects and not Rancho Grande. How much of that has been spent on Rancho Grande and how much do you still need to spend to complete your obligation for infrastructure and any other promised improvements at Ranch Grande?
2. I have heard that the FEDC has not created that many jobs during its existence. Most of the jobs would have come without the FEDC because of Eagle Ford. Since 1997 based on the State Comptroller reports the FEDC has spent a little over 5 million dollars. How many net sustainable jobs have been created for the 5 million, not counting those that would have come anyway due to Eagle Ford?
3. I have heard that members of the local real estate industry say that some businesses who bought land in Rancho Grande are now trying to sell the land because the park has not been developed as promised. They want to locate their businesses elsewhere.
4. This is just a point of curiosity for me not a rumor, it has been asked before but you said there were higher priority needs that delayed paying the school. I don’t think I have heard a discussion about economic development anywhere that did not say that one of the primary driving forces for economic development is a well educated work force. I am curious as I think many are about what had a higher priority in benefitting this community than an investment in local education?
Fred this is not an attack. This is an open invitation with my name on it to clear up anything that you believe is misinformation circulating in the community regarding what I said at the Council meeting or from any other source. Please feel free to not only address what I present here, but any other misinformation you feel is circulating regarding the FEDC. We don’t have to agree with each other, but at least if we all know the facts we can understand why those we oppose take the stand they do.
I would encourage you and the FEDC Board to consider expanding the FEDC website and post your past and future financials, hopefully monthly. You can also post the minutes of your Board meetings. You can use the site to communicate directly with the citizens without having to depend on the news media and those who attend your Board meetings.
I look forward to your responses.
Jim Lawhon
Resident (Born and Raised Here)

"... and the $123,000 payment to the city of Floresville for the Floresville Event Center." Will the FEDC be able to afford the $1.3 million balloon payment when it comes due in a couple of years? Where is this in ... More ›

"... and the $123,000 payment to the city of Floresville for the Floresville Event Center." Will the FEDC be able to afford the $1.3 million balloon payment when it comes due in a couple of years? Where is this in the plans?

Well, Mr. Gonzales, before Dr Vinson left we had several conversations about the FEDC funding. Let me say, your recollection of his position does not match my recollections. It is convenient for you to blame someone who has ... More ›

Well, Mr. Gonzales, before Dr Vinson left we had several conversations about the FEDC funding. Let me say, your recollection of his position does not match my recollections. It is convenient for you to blame someone who has left. Why don't you write him a letter and ask him to clarify what you are saying. I have used my real name if you want to ask me what I remember.

Missed the following: from this paper: The amount for the budget’s expenditures totals $1,123,171. This includes $350,000 for the Rancho Grande Business Park and the $123,000 payment to the city of Floresville for the Floresville ... More ›

Missed the following: from this paper: The amount for the budget’s expenditures totals $1,123,171. This includes $350,000 for the Rancho Grande Business Park and the $123,000 payment to the city of Floresville for the Floresville Event Center. So, yes, FEDC is funding other EDC's and other City Projects. So, how can Fred know what the long-term exposure to other agencies debt is going to be so they are not financially sound.

Well, Fred, you was presided over the Sept 8, 2010 FEDC meeting which is documented in the WCN, dated 15 Sep 2010. FEDC has to help the convention center funding over because the convention center cannot pay for itself. Then, ... More ›

Well, Fred, you was presided over the Sept 8, 2010 FEDC meeting which is documented in the WCN, dated 15 Sep 2010. FEDC has to help the convention center funding over because the convention center cannot pay for itself. Then, in this year's budget, in WCN paper dated October 10, 2012. You ought to be ashamed. The convention cannot pay for itself so FEDC is paying for and they are paying for the new ballfields. The ballfield do not bring jobs. Further, if FEDC is suppposed to cover every shortfall in the City of Floresville it cannot expect to generate enough funds. Besides FEDC is supposed to bring jobs. Quote from paper September 8, 2010 paper: "Since its formation in
2006, the Floresville 4A Corp. has never had an approved
budget, which is a problem that Jessica Lazovich
-- the city’s office manager appointed by Interim City
Manager Andy Joslin as the 4A corporation’s finance director -- is working to solve. From there, Perez said it will be important to devise a budget that “reflects the true fiscal position of the 4A.”
“Everybody knows the 4A cannot meet the debt service
payments that they have over the long run, simply because
you have to have a lot of events at the center,” Perez
said. “But, I think like Mr. Gleeson said sometime back,
the most you can expect right now is to keep the 4A operational,to keep the center operational."
So, who is going to keep the new ballpark operational?

I also reread my copy of the issue when they ran the story FEDC COUGHS UP the money,and it cut most of the interview off Mr.Hunkapillar thanking the FEDC. It would have been more informative to have puplished his whole statement.United ... More ›

I also reread my copy of the issue when they ran the story FEDC COUGHS UP the money,and it cut most of the interview off Mr.Hunkapillar thanking the FEDC. It would have been more informative to have puplished his whole statement.United we stand divided we fall!See you at the polls!

I called the FEDC and they said that the budget was available at its last meeting it was passed out and that no one besides the WCN reporter and the board were present.So if no one besides the board showed up where are you guys ... More ›

I called the FEDC and they said that the budget was available at its last meeting it was passed out and that no one besides the WCN reporter and the board were present.So if no one besides the board showed up where are you guys getting your information?The WCN has the budget maybe they will post it up.That would help with all the speculation right or wrong.This city has to work together for a better tomorrow .United we stand divided we fall!

Hey Fred, what other commitment could have been more important than education? Can you clear that one up for us? A promise is a promise and I think you finally paid off the school because you were getting such bad publicity. ... More ›

Hey Fred, what other commitment could have been more important than education? Can you clear that one up for us? A promise is a promise and I think you finally paid off the school because you were getting such bad publicity. The people spoke and you had to take action.... Take a hint from Gomez, don't speak publicly.

Fred, you put all this up here, but show me your facts. Post the budget, show the last Audi results and lets go from there. Sorry you can't come on here and say they are all lies without some type of proof.

Fred, in 2008, the FEDC received 1.5 million dollars to be used for the infrastructure for the Rancho Grande Park. Was that money used for Rancho Grande? If so why is the FEDC in trouble with the County, over failure to deliver ... More ›

Fred, in 2008, the FEDC received 1.5 million dollars to be used for the infrastructure for the Rancho Grande Park. Was that money used for Rancho Grande? If so why is the FEDC in trouble with the County, over failure to deliver promised infrastructure at Rancho Grande. We keep asking the question, where is that money and how was it used? This is the State Comptroller’s website showing annual reports for the FEDC and Event Center: https://ourcpa.cpa.state.tx.us/edcr/EdcrSearch.jsp: If you go to this website and select Floresville as the city and then start with 2007 and B is the FEDC and A is the Event Center, the statements show that FEDC expenditures are higher than revenue for all years through 2011, except in 2008. And that is when the FEDC received that 1.5 million, although if you take that money out, they still spent more than they received through normal revenue. The FEDC still has money in a “savings” account, but that doesn’t change the fact that the FEDC is spending more each year than they take in based on the official reports to the state. As individuals we could not last long doing that with our home budgets. Our local government surviving from tax dollars should not either. We are NOT STUPID! THIS IS NOT PROPAGANDA! If everybody would just get all their facts straight, there would not be so many questions!!!! I also believe that the point about selling land to pay the money promised to the school was a question which the Mayor corrected and said that the land sale was not triggered by the need to pay the school. This cleared up a potential misunderstanding of the facts. Questions like that help to move things forward, they are not attacks, simply a search for the truth. You indicate you and the FEDC are very willing to make things transparent. I applaud you for that action. The first step would be to post your monthly financial statements on the City Website.

Hey Fred- didn't your lawyer(s) specifically instruct you to not comment about the lawsuit? Perhaps, just perhaps, he's trying to keep your intellecually inferior butt out of jail.
Fact: you are not the judge. And I'd bet ... More ›

Hey Fred- didn't your lawyer(s) specifically instruct you to not comment about the lawsuit? Perhaps, just perhaps, he's trying to keep your intellecually inferior butt out of jail.
Fact: you are not the judge. And I'd bet the real judge won't take it too kindly, you still trying (in vain, I might add) to mislead the citizenry of this city.
But we are glad that you've admitted that another project (like we don't ALL know what pet project that was) kept the fedc from making the payment to FISD.
Fact: if you vote to commit to other projects and that keeps you from meeting previous obligations, you are not solvent.
Fact: All commitments that you make are verbal. Duh that's why you have meetings. Once they are approved in the minutes, they become written.